Normally, the free HF meters are fairly accurate. The last one I showed was off a fair amount but it's the new cheaper style with no adjustment pot. I don't think I have ever seen a meter that was not accurate out of the box. Sure, they may not power up...

You seem to have been lucky with the HF meters. I had 2 of them that I once brought to a training session. I had to measure a resistance in the 25-30R range for verification of correct part install. Both meters read into the hundreds of Ohms. I had to use someone else's meter to check. I now have an Aneng AN-8008 and 8009, the 8009 is in my toolbag and the 8008 is a backup kept in my company van. I have them as size is a big consideration. Both measure what I need almost equal to my HP-3466A meters. And, I haven't even modified them for better accuracy.

Problem I find with many cheap autorangers is that they produce a series of false readings before settling on the right one. Many of the false readings look believable which causes a lot of consternation and wasted time. Thus on a cheap meter I'd generally prefer manual range setting.

-How well does this one do in that respect?

I guess we'll have to wait for Joe's analysis (though his lab might still be missing some gear for his usual panache).

The input is routed directly to the switch. None of them surge rated resistors, PTCs and MOVs to throw off your reading. Put a little gasoline on the LCD lens and let me know what happens. The free ones from HF have no trouble with this but so far every Aneng meter I have looked at was damaged by this. Crack open the fuses. Filled?

The input is routed directly to the switch. None of them surge rated resistors, PTCs and MOVs to throw off your reading. Put a little gasoline on the LCD lens and let me know what happens. The free ones from HF have no trouble with this but so far every Aneng meter I have looked at was damaged by this. Crack open the fuses. Filled?

Gasoline ? What you're testing with dipping your meter in gasoline ?

Because I use a meter when I work on my engines and such. I use various chemicals and sometimes things get splashed or sprayed. When I check them I have been using the fuel I use (VP C16 and methanol). I have not sprayed any with break cleaner. ANENG meters have been the worse for this test. Most meters, even the free HF meter have had no problems with this.

Just to clarify, you wrote "dipping your meter" which is obviously not what I wrote or have done in these videos.

Problem I find with many cheap autorangers is that they produce a series of false readings before settling on the right one. Many of the false readings look believable which causes a lot of consternation and wasted time. Thus on a cheap meter I'd generally prefer manual range setting.

-How well does this one do in that respect?

I guess we'll have to wait for Joe's analysis (though his lab might still be missing some gear for his usual panache).

All the gear is back together and running fine.

A few people here have this meter as well that could easily check it. Mines still in the box awaiting for me to complete another home project that's in the works.

So there will be a test of this meter for robustness ? It will stay at the same level as one of the bigger KaSUNtest / Aneng / Richmeters ( A bunch of brands...) that was bigger KT6000 / ANENG AN860B maybe?

Do it survive a controlled pulse from flyswatter? I have a new flyswatter that is rechargeable but has similar voltage (1989 Volts ) as the AA operated.

« Last Edit: July 18, 2018, 01:53:39 am by malagas_on_fire »

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I lost touch if joeqsmith is ranking at different (increasing) levels or just hits them at their fake ratings, overvoltage Cat. xxx test voltages.

It looks like the same crappy PCB layout, kindergarden-grade, as all the low cost chinese DMM's have- bad spacings and traces smoke and burn when overvoltages come in. If it isn't arcing to the battery holder, it's arcing on the mile long run up to the PTC, or at the fuse holder clips, or the rotary switch etc.

The clamp diodes look better, it's a single TVS on the ANENG 8008/8009 but here it's a 5-diode bridge.I also don't see the discrete ICL8069 Vref IC, so the on-chip one is used and I wonder how it performs.

I lost touch if joeqsmith is ranking at different (increasing) levels or just hits them at their fake ratings, overvoltage Cat. xxx test voltages.

It looks like the same crappy PCB layout, kindergarden-grade, as all the low cost chinese DMM's have- bad spacings and traces smoke and burn when overvoltages come in. If it isn't arcing to the battery holder, it's arcing on the mile long run up to the PTC, or at the fuse holder clips, or the rotary switch etc.

The clamp diodes look better, it's a single TVS on the ANENG 8008/8009 but here it's a 5-diode bridge.I also don't see the discrete ICL8069 Vref IC, so the on-chip one is used and I wonder how it performs.

Still stepped using the same levels until damaged for any new meters.

8008 like the ZT102 uses a 2 diode clamp in series with a PTC. There is a TVS for the current input. From the pictures I saw, this meter appears the same.

So there will be a test of this meter for robustness ? It will stay at the same level as one of the bigger KaSUNtest / Aneng / Richmeters ( A bunch of brands...) that was bigger KT6000 / ANENG AN860B maybe?

Do it survive a controlled pulse from flyswatter? I have a new flyswatter that is rechargeable but has similar voltage (1989 Volts ) as the AA operated.

Please ignore the flyswatter idea unless using a proper High Voltage probe, since i have "zapped" one meter years ago..

Well about the construction of the meter is what you get for the money... It was only the bare minimal protection and looks like a CAT II 300V

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If one can make knowledge flow than it will go from negative to positve , for real

That was fun. I like the "leash" test (how easily the DMM is dragged around or upset by its leads).

The AC (and its companion Hz in the same position) mode behavior seems to be a strict interpretation of AC (having no polarity change is DC). I don't recall other meters acting like that. Interesting.

The inability for DC mode to measure the DC offset of an AC+DC signal is weird.

So far you are the closest. I was expecting at least one person to comment on how well that thing would oscillate. Cliff was asking about the tip over and IMO, its pretty subjective to just tip them. What I showed is really what I have happen with the smaller, light weight meters. On the flip side, I would not want to drag the larger/heavier meters into the field.

Terrible, ACV is useless, probably AC current too. Dangerous.HT7133 voltage regulator is not rated for reverse-battery so that will kill it.

These Hycon chips are OTP so they must be dumping product with the student grade firmware, under the oddball Me twerk name

When I first saw that name through the wrapper, I could not make out the lettering. Then I was thinking, how do they want that pronounced. Someone posted "ME TERK". I wonder if it's "METER K". Someone in marketing had fun thinking that one up.